Travel couple Dave and Deb live by the motto “adventure is for everyone.” Married for 17 years, they’ve visited over 80 countries on seven continents. They aim to inspire people to follow their dreams and push their boundaries. Follow their journeys on their travel blog ThePlanetD. We love their work so much that we asked them to guest blog on our site:
It’s a Canadian tradition once the five o’clock bell goes off on Friday evening; we load up the cars and head to cottage country for the weekend. Our own recent weekend adventure took us to Georgian Bay, Ont., where we explored the Apple Pie Trail in our brand-new Ford Escape.
An Escape sits on the beach of Georgian Bay
Setting the satellite radio to our favourite stations, we punched in our GPS coordinates and began the two-hour drive northwest from Toronto to Collingwood.
Nestled between the Niagara Escarpment and the shores of Georgian Bay, Collingwood is known for being home to Ontario’s premiere ski resort at Blue Mountain, but there is so much more to do than just hitting the slopes. With its rich history and rugged landscape, Georgian Bay is the perfect weekend getaway for those hoping to escape the city.
We checked in to the Westin Trillium House located right on the Millpond overlooking Blue Mountain Village. The village is home to boutiques, cafés and fine dining – it’s the perfect place to act as home base for your Apple Pie road trip and sample the area’s many apple desserts.
Playing in the Plunge
Our two-bedroom suite with full kitchen was inviting, but we didn’t have long to relax and instead we set off for water fun at The Plunge next door. The Plunge is an indoor/outdoor water park that is fun for the whole family. We acted like school kids as we played on the waterslides, jumped off the diving platform and swung off the Tarzan swings. It was a morning of playful giddiness.
We only had a total of 72 hours in the region though and we weren’t going to waste a moment. We pried ourselves away from the hot tub and continued our road trip through the area. We had four fabulous wheels that were perfect for touring the countryside. The leaves with the beautiful autumn colours had yet to fall completely off the trees. The scene was beautiful.
The Apple Pie Trail
Our eyes ate up the scenery, but what really got our mouths watering was the Apple Pie Trail. The trail follows a triangular route along the coast of Georgian Bay’s highway 26 from Collingwood to Thornbury, out to Beaver Valley and back to Craigleith. The temperate climate of Georgian Bay is perfect for growing apples and there are 32 stops for day-trippers to choose from, where they can sample delicious apple pies, taste apple infused jams and browse museums showcasing the history of the area.
Map of Apple Pie Trail
When it comes to a getaway though, we’re all about adventure and before we could truly explore all the delights of the Apple Pie Trail, we needed to get up high on the Niagara Escarpment to overlook the delightful scenery. There’s no better way to do so than on the Scenic Caves Eco Adventure Tour.
Scenic Caves Eco Adventure Tour
The autumn wind was ripping through as dark clouds rolled in, but that didn’t stop these two intrepid travellers. We suited up in warm, waterproof layers, fastened up our harnesses and put on our helmets to begin the long walk over Southern Ontario’s longest suspension bridge. At 300-metres high, it offers stunning panoramic views.
Dave and Deb at Southern Ontario’s longest suspension bridge
The fun didn’t stop there though, as for the next three hours we hiked above the canopy forest, explored the ancient caverns and caves, and zipped down not one, but two zip lines ending with a 100-metre vertical drop on 1,000 feet of cable. Who knew Ontario had such an exciting adventure right in our own backyard?
We didn’t have time to explore all the stops on the Apple Pie Trail – it would take weeks to see it all, but with Georgian Bay being such a short trip from the city, we’ll be sure to be back. It’s the perfect Ontario Road Trip for the perfectly-suited Ford Escape.